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Variously described as a great, brilliant Diplomat and Statesman, an Anglophile, a world famous figure, patriotic, and a man who lived up to the noble teachings of Freemasonry, Tadasu Hayashi served Japan with uncommon devotion and dedication throughout his life.

He was born in Shomofussa Province (now a part of Chiba Prefecture) on February 22, 1850 into the Sato family and given the boyhood name of Shingoro. His father was a progressive physician who practiced and taught Dutch (western) medicine. At an early age he was adopted into the Hayashi family who lived in Edo (now Tokyo) and were the heredity physicians to the Tokugawa Shogunate. His surname thus became Hayashi and his first name was changed to Tadasu.

At the age of twelve Hayashi was sent to Yokohama to study English under Dr. James C. Hepburn, an American medical missionary, who was credited with romanizing the Japanese language, translating the Bible into Japanese, and compiling the first Japanese-English dictionary. Dr. Hepburn was alluded to by the Japanese as “Kunshi,” a term signifying a superior person, and Mrs. Hepburn was responsible for establishing the first co-educational school in Japan. The Hepburns considered Hayashi one of the family and through them he received a thorough foundation in the English language.

In 1866--thirteen years after Commodore Matthew C. Perry (a member of Holland Lodge No. 8 in New York City) had made his first visit to Japan—Hayashi was among the fourteen youths selected by the Tokugawa Shogunate to study the English language, manners and customs in London. At first the students lived in a lodging house, but Hayashi disliked this arrangement (recalling his experience with the Hepburns) since all of them tended to speak only Japanese except when they were attending the University College School. He petitioned to have the group separated and live with private families which was granted.

In March 6, 1775, Prince Hall and 14 men of color were made masons in Lodge #441 of the Irish Registry attached to the 38th British Foot Infantry at Castle William Island in Boston Harbor, Massachusetts. It marked the first time that Black men were made masons in America.

About a year later, since the conflict between England and America had commenced, the British Foot Infantry left Boston, along with its lodge, leaving Prince Hall and his associates without a lodge. Before the lodge left, Worshipful Master Batt, gave them a "permit" to meet as a lodge and bury their dead in manner and form. This permit, however, did not allow them to do any "masonic work" or to take in any new members.

Under it, African Lodge was organized on July 3, 1776, with Prince Hall as the worshipful master. It wasn't long before this lodge received an additional "permit" from Provincial Grand Master John Rowe to walk in procession on St. John's Day.

On March 2, 1784, African Lodge #1 petitioned the Grand Lodge of England, the Premier or Mother Grand Lodge of the world, for a warrant (or charter), to organize a regular masonic lodge, with all the rights and privileges thereunto prescribed.

The Grand Lodge of England issued a charter on September 29, 1784 to African Lodge #459, the first lodge of Blacks in America.

African Lodge #459 grew and prospered to such a degree that Worshipful Master Prince Hall was appointed a Provincial Grand Master, in 1791, and out of this grew the first Black Provincial Grand Lodge.

In 1797 he organized a lodge in Philadelphia and one in Rhode Island. These lodges were designated to work under the charter of African Lodge #459.

In December 1808, one year after the death of Prince Hall, African Lodge #459 (Boston), African Lodge #459 (Philadelphia) and Hiram Lodge #3 (Providence) met in a general assembly of the craft and organized African Grand Lodge (sometime referred to as African Grand Lodge #I).

So many times we seem to look at Ritual Work as not being that important, and that it doesn't have to be done that well. We feel that just need to have more Masons for our Lodges. If we fail to share the teachings properly, who do you think looses?

I would like to have you think back to that first night, it could of been a warm or cool night, that we all share. That night we were so apprehensive , or for the sake of better words, confused as to what was going to happen. Those first words you heard said at the Lodge door, asking questions and wanting answers of you, and how you were treated was only the start of your Masonic life. That life that leads most of us on a continuous journey of Masonic travel the rest of our lives.

For some of us, who had to memorize the Degree and Obligations, we share something that no one else can understand. This task of learning them, that we choose to do, and we did. This struggle teaches us what we all can do with hard work and a true desire to accomplish things.

So many times I have listened to the lectures, and still I find them as interesting as the first time I heard them. Every time I hear them, I find a new perspective that I have missed before. I fear for those that do not choose to listen to them in this way, as they will never find the lessons that are taught there in Masonry.

And as for those that give those grand lectures, they learn as well. They learn how it feels to give that perfect lecture and also when they don't get it perfectly right! Most of the time just stopping for a moment to think or to taking a breath. I think we can all learn hidden lessons here too. How we should overlook everyone's little mistakes that we all make in life. Also to remember sometimes the best intentions go wrong by accident.

To become the model Master of a Lodge should be the ambition of every Brother, and to discharge with efficiency and zeal the duties of that important office should be his most anxious desire. These duties are not confined to the mere repetition of a few phrases, learned by rote, but he should be enabled to instruct the Craft, not only as to the meaning and origin of our ceremonies, but also to explain to them the philosophy which is veiled in its allegories and illustrated by its symbols.

He should be able, also, to convince his Brethren, that all science and art, legitimately directed, are but lines that radiate towards the great " I AM;" that the Sciences are the media by which we are led to contemplate the goodness, greatness, wisdom and power, of the Great Architect of the Universe; and that the Arts are the modes we have developed of expressing our sense and admiration of the wondrous glories of an Almighty Father which are scattered around us.

The Master of a Lodge should also, in his life and in his conversation, be a model for his Brethren to admire and imitate, and should himself practice, out of the Lodge, those great moral doctrines and virtues which he inculcates within its walls. He should be punctual and methodical in all things, and, both by his character and conduct, command the respect, the esteem, and good will of all men; for, as the Master is supreme in his Lodge, and distinguished by his position in the Craft, so should he also be distinguished as the possessor of an irreproachable character, a dignified demeanor, an expanded intellect, and a liberal education. Happy and prosperous must those Lodges be which are governed by such men! - their time of meeting is looked forward to by the Brethren with the most pleasing anticipation. Prompt at the hour, every Brother is at his station, and the work is carried on with pleasure and profit. The Worshipful...

In 1946, I travelled with a friend down to a little town called Abingdon, Virginia, to see what the Barter Theatre had to offer. It offered nothing except hard work and board. My friend, not accepting the work they offered him, stayed one day - I stayed five years. In that time I grew to love the town and all it offered. The people, in particular, were simply marvellous.

Occasionally I would be assigned to go down to the printing shop and get posters made for the upcoming shows at the Barter Theatre. One day, in talking to the owner of the print shop, one Elmo Vaughan, I found that he belonged to the local Masonic Lodge, No. 48, in Abingdon. My father was also a Mason and had advanced to the Thirty-second Degree in Scottish Rite Masonry, and I told this to Elmo. He was pleased, and sensing his pleasure, I asked him if maybe I could join. He said nothing, continuing his work, and a short while later, I took my posters and left.

The next time I saw Elmo, I asked him again about joining the Masonic Order - again he said nothing - and again my work took me away. We became good friends and finally one day I passed by and again I asked if I could join the Masons. Instantly, he whipped out an application and I hurriedly filled it out. I didn't learn 'til later, that in those days, you had to ask three times.

I was thrilled! Not only was I going to be the first actor ever in Lodge No. 48, but I could just imagine my father's surprise when I would spring the old greetings on him! I wanted only to surprise my Dad - and was I surprised, when after I was made an Entered Apprentice, I found I had to remember everything that happened to me at that event and come back and answer questions about it!

I was assigned to a dear old man of about 92 years of age who, I felt, must have been there when the Lodge first started. He was really of the old school - and he started me out with the foot-to-foot, knee-to-knee and...

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